I love a floral coffee bevy. It started with lavender and rose, but now has seemed to evolve. This black sesame and elderflower syrup is a balance of two polarities. It sounds weird but the two just work. The elderflower is bright and sweet, while the sesame is nutty and toasty. It’s perfect for your iced latte needs. The syrup comes together in less than 10 minutes too. I’m including clean-up in that too.
black sesame and elderflower orgeat
This syrup is essentially an orgeat. A nut syrup usually made from almonds but can be made with any nut or seed. Pistachios, hazelnuts, peanuts, you name it. Here we take the black sesame seed route. They bring a unique flavor that I’ve never tasted before in syrup. It’s nutty and a bit toasty. Surprisingly This syrup is easy to make. All you need is a blender, strainer, bowl, and about 5 minutes. Sometimes orgeat recipes are a bit involved but I aimed to keep it simple here. Blending the syrup keeps the flavors light and fresh. For a richer flavor, you can blend everything and then Summer it for about 10 minutes. Cool it down then strain. I enjoy the blender route though. It’s simple, clean, and efficient. The balance of the two flavors are held together and nuanced too. The elderflower isn’t too strong. The black sesame doesn’t muddle it either.
Elderflower and Black Sesame
Elderflower and black sesame seeds have polar flavors. It sounds weird but the two work together so well. This recipe came about from just playing around. I originally used this for a cocktail but works great in coffee. Elderflower is a very summery vibe. They come into season in late May and stick around for a few weeks. Their floralness is almost tropical. Different from the common rose and lavender. This syrup doesn’t bring that soapy grandma vibe to the iced latte. Something about that fruity floralness pairs well with the toasty black sesame. Reminiscent of a contemporary tiki nightcap. The syrup maintained a great balance of flavors.
No Espresso for Iced lattes ?
Making this elderflower and black sesame iced latte can be tricky without traditional espresso equipment. However, there are alternatives you can try! Cold brew concentrate, a mocha pot, or an Aeropress can all help you achieve a rich, espresso-like flavor without the need for expensive equipment. A French press can even suffice too. There are loads of recipes on the internet to follow for help. Alternatively, a brewed iced coffee with milk and syrup can be just as satisfying. It’s not the same as an iced latte but still gets the job done. So don’t worry, there are plenty of options for delicious coffee drinks at home! I enjoy Pairing this with floral-forward coffee. This little bit is definitely for the coffee nerds though. Something of African or Colombian origin. A sweet Ethiopian bean is perfect here. If you can find it a washed pea berry would be lovely too. I would air away from natural beans for this one. They could be too harsh and not balance well. The main thing is just to have fun. Everyone’s preference is different. Everyone likes an iced latte a little differently.
Give this recipe a shot for the summer for your summertime coffee needs. The syrup is so easy to make. Just 10 minutes and you have a syrup for hot or iced coffee. Play around with what you use it for. Little secret, it’s great in cocktails too. Thanks for stopping by this corner of the internet. Enjoy the sunshine and Black sesame and elderflower lattes.
Black Sesame & Elderflower Iced Latte
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp & 1 tsp (27g) Black sesame seeds
- 2tbsp & 1 tsp (6g) Dried elderflower
- 1C (200g) Sugar
- 1C (240g) water
Black sesame and elderlfower latte
- 10oz Milk
- double shot Espresso
- 2 tbsp (30g) Syrup
- Ice
Instructions
Black sesame and elderflower syrup
- Add the water, sugar, black sesame seeds, and elderflower into a blender. Blend on high speed for 1 minute. Strain the syrup and refrigerate.
Black sesame and elferflower iced latte
- Add a double shot of espresso to a cup with milk, and syrup. Stir and top with ice.
- (optional) Add the milk, espresso, and syrup to a large shaker tin. shake for 10 seconds to airate and add texture. pour over ice.
- enjoy!